Shinseki: Bold VA backlog goal drew fire, dollars

5:32 PM,
Jul. 18, 2013

Tom Philpott

Written by

Tom Philpott

In setting an ambitious goal three years ago to end the Department of Veterans Affairs' disability claims backlog in 2015, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki exposed himself to criticism, including calls to resign as the backlog rose.

But that bold goal, Shinseki said, also helped VA get the funding it needed to modernize operations, including to phase out an inefficient, paper-driven claim processing system.

"If I had written a plan that said we're going to end the backlog in 2025, I wouldn't have gotten any resources," Shinseki said in an interview while he visited the VA regional claims ...